These are the healthiest places in the United States

The affluent suburbs of northern Virginia, which boast a comfortable distance from the hubbub of Washington, D.C., also include some of nation’s healthiest places.

Falls Church, Virginia, just a short drive to the nation’s capital, topped the U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of the Healthiest Communities. Also in the top 10 were the city of Fairfax (No. 6) and Loudoun County (No. 10), both short commutes over the Potomac River to D.C.

A community's health, U.S. News reports, can be affected by everything from obesity and smoking rates, to education and access to recreational spaces.

To compile its rankings, U.S. News and the Aetna Foundation analyzed about 3,000 U.S. counties in 10 categories, nearly all of which are considered key indicators of an area’s health by the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, an advisory body to the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.

The categories include Education, environment, community vitality, equity, population health, food and nutrition, economy, infrastructure, housing and public safety.

Falls Church, Fairfax and Loudoun County scored high in six of the 10 categories. The areas claim some of the top income and health outcomes in the U.S. along with high scores in walkability, educational attainment and proximity to schools. However, the area also scored poorly in respiratory hazards and housing affordability.

Colorado counties Douglas (No. 2), Broomfield (No. 3), Routt (No.8) and Ouray (No. 9) all made the top 10, supported by their physical activity, food and nutrition, income and the prevalence of outdoor sports such as skiing and snowboarding. Yet the study found the counties also have “room to improve” as it relates to equity and housing.

Rounding out the top 10 are Los Alamos County, N.M., near Santa Fe; Dukes County, Mass., home to Martha’s Vineyard; and Hamilton County, Ind., north of Indianapolis.

The list was bad news for Philadelphia County, Pa., home to the city of Brotherly Love. It was the least healthy of the most densely populated areas on the list.

“The opioid epidemic has hit Philadelphia hard,” which maybe drives deaths in the county, read a U.S. News summary.

Aetna Foundation Chairman Mark T. Bertolini said the aim of the list is to highlight best practices and show areas where they can improve. The ranking’s creators said a person's location could affect their well-being.

“Research has shown that in the United States, your ZIP code is a greater predictor of your life expectancy than your genetic code,” said Bertolini, also chairman and CEO of insurance provider Aetna. “In other words, where you live has a significant impact.”